Our Network
88%
of YBI members agree or strongly agree that YBI supports them to meet each other, share learning, collaborate and develop long term relationships.*
*According to our Annual Member Survey 2023.
Group of YBI members at YBI’s Community of Practice event, Kampala, 2023
Honoka Onoma, Founder of Onoma Farm, Japan
"It is a real honour to join YBI and such a tight knit group of business support organisations from around the world!"
CEO of ONOW
Expanding our global network
We welcomed nine new members to our global network in 2023, extending our global reach to support even more young entrepreneurs around the world.
Action Finance Initiative (AFI)
in Greece provides access to finance through microloans to unemployed individuals and small businesses as well as free training.
Fetola
in South Africa is dedicated to catalysing the growth of the small business sector in the country and across Africa.
Impact Square
in South Korea focusses on supporting social enterprises to make an impact.
The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF)
in Nigeria creates an enabling environment for youth entrepreneurship to support job creation and wealth generation.
Launch It
in the UK focusses on supporting young entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities through providing work space, training, and mentoring.
ONOW
in Myanmar works to reduce poverty through an entrepreneurship development system and women-centric approach.
Startup Vietnam Foundation (SVF)
is on a mission to uplift Vietnam through innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network (TERN)
in the UK is a pioneering social enterprise dedicated to empowering refugees to thrive through entrepreneurship.
Work Together Foundation
in South Korea focuses on reducing social inequality and creating better opportunities for everyone with a primary goal of overcoming unemployment.
"‘Fetola’s partnership with Youth Business International is a powerful step towards greater opportunities for collaboration and cross pollination of ideas. We are really keen to contribute and be part of the network."
Fetola’s Founder and CEO
Member Learning
Exchange Scheme
We launched our Member Learning Exchange Scheme, giving YBI members the opportunity for deep dive learning and collaboration through a funded ‘study visit’ to the offices of another YBI member. Two visits took place at the end of 2023:
Sky’s The Limit (USA) visited Futurpreneur (Canada) to learn about how they develop and deliver support programmes for Indigenous entrepreneurs.
“I believe this exchange will definitely inform the development of more effective, culturally sensitive support programmes at Sky’s the Limit, ultimately contributing to the empowerment and success of Indigenous entrepreneurs. Our discussions really helped me feel seen, understood, and to know that we can always reach potential solutions together.”
Laura Plao
COO, Sky’s The Limit, USA
Development Solutions (Mongolia) visited Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST) (India) and Bangladesh Youth Enterprise Advice and Helpcentre (BYEAH) to learn about their mentoring programmes and support for young green and social entrepreneurs.
“This trip provided the opportunity to understand the methods of BYST and BYEAH, particularly their management and entrepreneurial culture, and compare them to the situation in Mongolia.”
Bat-Orshikh Erdenebat
Chief Advisor, Development Solutions Mongolia
Welcoming five new
YBI trustees
We were pleased to welcome five new trustees to our board in 2023, injecting new energy at board level and supporting YBI’s ambitious strategy:
Babajide Oluwase
Young Entrepreneur, Co-Founder and
CEO of Ecotutu, Nigeria
Ellora-Julie Parekh
Chief Sustainability Officer, Al-Futtaim Group, United Arab Emirates
Lydia Savill
Partner in the commercial litigation team at Hogan Lovells, United Kingdom
Matt Wallace
CEO of YBI member ONOW and social entrepreneur, Myanmar
Purity Gakuo
CEO and Founder of Kuza Freezer and YBI’s Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2022, Kenya
